the Brown
pushed to Thursday
with many faculty and the
deans,” Shefrin wrote. “This is
in recognition of the need to
not only slow down the pace
of change, but also to focus on By Kyle McNamara about 50 protestors and organized
the things that are the highest Staff Writer by the Providence Parent Teacher
priorities.” Student Community Coalition took
But the email’s tone The Providence School Board held a place outside the building before the
frustrated several faculty meeting last night to discuss Mayor meeting began. Anna Kuperman,
members, who remain Angel Taveras’ recommendation to a teacher at Classical High School
disaffected by the close four of the city’s public schools and a member of the coalition, said
administration. “There’s a sense and convert a middle school to an the group has proposed a year-long
of futility about this whole review to avoid prematurely closing
enterprise,” said Mark Sherman, city & state the schools. The coalition currently
chair of the Faculty Steering consists of approximately 60 parents
Committee. elementary school. The board, which and teachers.
“The emphasis on her having was originally scheduled to vote on Brown students also attended the
made the decision is very the decision yesterday, decided to rally. Students came to support and
interesting since we had to fight postpone the vote until Thursday acknowledge the University’s obliga-
tooth and nail to get to that due to lingering questions about the tion to the Providence community,
point,” Sherman said. “They’re city’s financial capabilities. said Julian Park ’12, a Herald opin-
really only doing what they Instead, the board reviewed the ions columnist. Protesters moved
should have been doing in the financial impact of the proposal inside the building as the meeting
beginning.” and allowed community members started, chanting slogans such as,
to voice concerns. Crystal Vance Guerra / Herald
— Rebecca Ballhaus A 30-minute rally attended by continued on page 3 Protestors fought public school closures at a school board meeting yesterday.
weather
editorial...............6
Opinions................7 Bill looks to repeal Bush tax Jewish holidays overlooked Dissent gets shut out
SPORTS....................8 cuts for the wealthy in R.I. in U.’s schedule of conversations
city & state, 4 Opinions, 7 Opinions, 7 69 / 57 67 / 56
2 Campus News The Brown Daily Herald
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Daily Herald
the Brown Lucinda Watson suggested Mi-
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Sydney Ember, Vice President Isha Gulati, Secretary said.
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The Brown Daily Herald
Tuesday, April 26, 2011 Campus News 3
Student-athletes, alums respond to potential athletic cuts
continued from page 1 of competition without significant will deny future students the chance will decide in May whether to accept wrestling team more self-sufficient
financial investment. to receive high quality education — the committee’s recommendations. and contacting committee and Cor-
more expensive programs to sup- In addition to calling specific facts particularly since the teams attract In the meantime, the athletes say poration members to express disap-
port.” Except for coaches’ salaries, the from the report into question, stu- students from diverse socioeconomic they will continue to voice oppo- proval of the proposed cuts.
program receives all its funding from dents said they feel disempowered and geographic backgrounds who sition to the proposed measures, Although the majority of pro-
other sources, Cataldi said. by the committee’s recommendation. might not otherwise gain admission particularly during meetings with testors at Monday’s rally stood to
“It may be (an expensive sport), “How would you feel if they took to the University. committee members this week. be affected personally by the cuts, a
but the school doesn’t pay that,” he your family away from you?” asked “This is a symbolic thing,” said Several students met with Sim- contingent of non-athletes and ath-
said. Brady Caspar ’13, who said the men’s Sam Barney ’12, one of several mons Monday afternoon after the letes on unaffected teams also joined
Other students pointed out that ski team is his primary community at non-athletes at the rally. She said protest to discuss their concerns, said the effort in solidarity.
the men’s fencing team placed 13th at Brown. Without their teams, many the school would be reneging on its wrestler Hudson Collins ’11.5. “We’re going to talk to President
the NCAA Fencing Championships. students will lose support systems commitment to support students’ Alums are also getting involved in Simmons, we’re going to talk to the
According to the report, the program and structures they need in college, passions by cutting the teams. “This the effort. Rob Davidson ’70, former people we know on the Corpora-
is not yet at the “necessary level for a he said. is our University turning its back on captain of the wrestling team, said tion, and we’re going to save Brown
high-quality competitive experience” David Gustovich ’95, a former us,” she said. he is part of an active group of for- athletics,” said field hockey captain
and could not reach that intensity wrestler, said cutting the programs Simmons and the Corporation mer athletes fundraising to make the Tacy Zysk ’11.
Watson seeks to balance teaching and research State rep. aims to roll
continued from page 2
Priorities
Last week, the Athletics Review Committee presented a set of pro-
posals for review by President Ruth Simmons and the Corporation.
Among its recommended policy changes, the committee suggested
cutting four athletic teams — men’s wrestling, women’s skiing and
men and women’s fencing — and increasing the overall athletics
budget by 10 percent. The debate over these proposals has grown
fierce and emotional.
This is an extremely difficult issue with severe personal costs. We
empathize with current team members, coaches and recruits, all of
whom might lose teams that largely define their lives at Brown. We
hope students, faculty and alums will treat this debate with tact and
respect for all involved.
The committee’s decision comes at a crossroads of sorts for Uni-
versity athletics. Brown currently has the most athletic teams in the
Ivy League, 37, yet simultaneously spends the least amount on ath-
letes. Further, Brown teams generate the least revenue out of any Ivy
institution. Ultimately, there are too few resources spread around too
many teams. The Herald has documented the negative consequences
— low coach salaries, limited funding for recruits who need financial
aid and poor on-the-field performance. Given the tough economic
times, the committee was tasked with a difficult decision.
Some might find focusing on revenue is the wrong way to frame
the debate. A main purpose of athletics is to appeal to the diverse
interests of students, generate school spirit and create competitive
outlets for top athletes in a wide range of sports. Athletics is important
as a major extracurricular arena.
Yet this is ultimately an issue of competitiveness — and thus rev-
enue. The theory goes as follows: If the University both cuts teams and
increases the athletics budget, more resources will be concentrated for
fewer teams. Therefore, teams can hire better coaches, recruit more
students who require financial aid and improve performance, which
in turn will increase revenue, mostly through alumni donations. This
is a risky and tenuous argument.
Calculating revenue streams for athletics is difficult. The University
quote of the day
has not released statistics on athletics revenue, because it is very hard
to ascertain how athletics are responsible for certain donations. It is
“The fact of the matter is that the committee’s report
was based on no facts.”
unclear if increasing the athletics budget will result in added revenue.
More importantly, though, raising the budget for athletics is a poor
use of important University resources.
These are extremely difficult economic times — Brown is attempt-
ing to jump-start its worthy Student Activities Endowment, students
have seen yet another tuition hike, and a plurality of them think the — Krista Consiglio ’11,
University’s highest priority should be increasing financial aid, accord-
ing to last month’s Herald poll. To increase the athletics budget by 10 See protestors on page 1.
percent — all the while delivering a huge blow to students, recruits,
coaches and alums by eliminating four teams — is problematic,
particularly given how unproven this revenue-generating logic is.
Even if it were certain that our athletic teams would become com-
petitive with increased funding, there are better ways to allocate this
money. We urge the Corporation to reconsider allocating funding to
an athletics budget and instead address Brown’s most pressing needs.
Editorials are written by The Herald’s editorial page board. Send comments
to editorials@browndailyherald.com.
Clarification
An article in yesterday’s Herald (“A step up — bird bones give hints of dino strides,” April 25) stated, “the lab
snips certain ligament or connective tissue, looking at ways the animals’ movement responds.” Such proce-
t h e b r ow n da i ly h e r a l d dures are only performed on cadavers.
Editors-in-Chief Deputy Managing Editors Senior Editors
Corrections
Sydney Ember Brigitta Greene Dan Alexander
Ben Schreckinger Anne Speyer Nicole Friedman
Julien Ouellet
editorial Business
Kristina Fazzalaro Arts & Culture Editor General Managers Office Manager An article in yesterday’s Herald (“In ‘Monologues,’ vaginas take center stage,” April 25) incorrectly stated
Luisa Robledo Arts & Culture Editor Matthew Burrows Shawn Reilly that the Brown Monologues/Dialogues project was spearheaded by Raisa Aziz ’11.5. In fact, the project was
Rebecca Ballhaus City & State Editor Isha Gulati
Claire Peracchio City & State Editor spearheaded by Aida Manduley ’11. The Herald regrets the error.
Directors
Talia Kagan Features Editor
Aditi Bhatia Sales
Hannah Moser Features Editor
Danielle Marshak Finance Two photographs in yesterday’s Herald (“Ivy film fest brings out Sorkin, Franco,” April 25) were incorrectly
Alex Bell News Editor
Nicole Boucher News Editor
Margot Grinberg Alumni Relations attributed. The photograph of Aaron Sorkin was taken by Hilary Rosenthal, and the photograph of James
Lisa Berlin Special Projects
Tony Bakshi Sports Editor Franco was taken by Emily Gilbert. The article also identified Hannah Levy ’13 as the festival’s screenplay
Ashley McDonnell Sports Editor Managers
Ethan McCoy Asst. Sports Editor Hao Tran National Sales coordinator. In fact, Levy’s title is screenplay co-coordinator. The Herald regrets the errors.
Tyler Rosenbaum Editorial Page Editor Alec Kacew University Department Sales
Hunter Fast Opinions Editor Siena deLisser University Student Group Sales
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C O R R E C T I O N S P olicy
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The Brown Daily Herald
Tuesday, April 26, 2011 Opinions 7
Thanks for all the fish
Obama’s campaign during the primary sea- for The Herald in my sophomore year, that ken. In fact, I was just recently filling out
son. But I will be honest and say I was not idyllic picture of the Brown landscape was the undergraduate survey on the topic. The
By Mike Johnson very accepting of gay marriage, nor was I muddied so deeply that it became hard even coalition does not speak for me. Nor does
Opinions Columnist even aware of the myriad issues Brown stu- to remember it existed. Supporting Israel is any other student group on campus, for that
dents tackle every day. deemed apologist, supporting capitalism is matter. What I have learned at Brown is that
It is my belief that the university expe- greedy and unethical and having even re- I have a voice, as do we all, and here on Col-
My four years at Brown have been a wel- rience generally liberalizes. There are nota- motely positive feelings about the Reserve lege Hill, we have an opportunity that not
come experience of maturation, and like ble exceptions, of course, but those who at- Officers’ Training Corps on campus is to everyone receives — we speak and expect to
fine wine and deliciously stinky cheese, the tend such universities attend them for that align oneself with the brutal murdering ma- be heard and have our opinions considered.
school only improves with age. From the particular reason — they are eddies in the chines of the U.S. armed forces. Even be- No student group gets to decide what
moment wide-eyed first-years walk up the stream of liberalizing education. If the gen- ing religious has become demonized — the “Brown says” about anything, especially not
impossibly steep College Street and through eral trend is to nudge eager young minds to outspoken atheists among us ridicule those in such a fledgling stage of an important de-
the gaping Van Wickle Gates, there is some- bate. I recognize that I may be getting my
thing about the campus that changes their dander up more readily because I happen to
impressionable young minds. Mine was no be on the other side of the question than the
different. folks in the coalition, but it does not change
I went to a fairly liberal public school in In an atmosphere where the dissenting viewpoint the fact that to extinguish the opposition is
the middle of backwater New Jersey. The despotic and immoral.
Tea Party has a firm hold on the more ru-
is allowed to flourish and even become prevalent, In my four short years on campus, the
ral areas of my county, and the congress- those in support of it have become zealots. marketplace of ideas has unfortunately
man from my district makes U.S. Rep. Mi- closed for business, and it is threatening to
chele Bachmann, R-Minn., look like Karl remove Brown as a place of enlightenment
Marx. Yes, such a place actually exists, and and free discourse and place it in the du-
in the sleepy county unknown to absolute- bious company of universities that do not
ly everyone besides some die-hard geolo- the left, the Brown experience is a gigan- who believe in a higher power. tolerate dissenters. Brown is a wonderful
gists and snowboarding fans — Danny Kass tic shove off the side of the cliff of conser- What I initially saw as a unifying atmo- place of vibrant diversity socially and eco-
was from there — we happily claim that we vatism. And it is not a gentle feather’s ride sphere has become a dictatorship of ideas. nomically, forging the perfect environment
have more livestock than people. For in- down. In an atmosphere where the dissenting to create the leaders of tomorrow. Yet if we
stance, Walmart was a recent addition, to My world was shattered. I met my first viewpoint is allowed to flourish and even keep demonizing our ideological counter-
much ado. Yet at my high school, we read homosexual classmate, and he was an all- become prevalent, those in support of it parts and silencing those with whom we do
such scandalous books as “Catcher in the right guy. I met more Jewish classmates than have become zealots. While the opinions not agree, tomorrow’s leaders will be just as
Rye” and learned about contraceptive use in I ever had in high school, and met my first expressed on campus have a right to be ignorant as yesterday’s.
health class. Muslim classmates. To my impressionable heard and debated, the minority opinions
When I came to Brown, I will admit my young mind, Brown was a place where all have a right to be considered.
worldview was downright barbaric com- these people could get together, learn about Recently, the Coalition Against Special
pared to that of the predominant commu- the world and about one another and strive Privileges for ROTC circulated a tableslip Mike Johnson ’11 will perform a double
nity already on campus. I knew I did not to come together to meet the challenges of that declared “Brown Says No!” to ROTC backward somersault through a
approve of the past eight years of the Bush an increasingly flat world. on campus. I was confused because I was hoop while whistling “The Star-
administration, and I worked on President By the time I signed on to write columns not aware that “Brown” as a whole had spo- Spangled Banner” at graduation.
Taekwondo wins first national title kept its competitive spirit high.
At Princeton, Heidi Caldwell ’14
ran the 3000-meter in 9 minutes,
Brynn Smith ’11 threw the hammer
197-6 for a second-place finish in
the hammer throw and launched
By Amy chen break, focusing on forms and de- our curriculum and our training,” 44.50 seconds for a second-place the shot 47-9 1/4 to finish fourth in
Staff Writer fense. Patel said. The national champion- finish. In the 5000m, Ari Garber the shot put.
“It had been a long journey to get ship is also a “title representative of ’13 earned 11th place with a time Bruno was well represented in
Twenty-five members of the Brown there,” said Karin Wefald ’13, who his hard work,” he added. “Master of 16:48.72. the javelin throw by Nicholas Keel-
Taekwondo team brought home won first place in the featherweight Sung Park shows a sense of the club’s On the men’s side, Dan Lowry ’12 ing ’14 and Niina Al-Hassan ’14,
medals galore, trophies and, for the division. “You had to mentally pre- continuity.” covered the 5000-meter in 14:16.27 who threw 215-8 and 142-10, re-
first time, the national title at the pare yourself for the experience.” The many years of improvements to come in 18th. spectively. Keeling finished second
National Collegiate Taekwondo As- “At nationals, I just thought back and commitment in the club have John Spooney ’14 put together in the men’s competition, while
sociation Championships April 9-10. to how much I’ve trained,” said Lei contributed to this year’s win, Patel two strong performances, finishing Al-Hassan finished third among
The national tournament at the Ma ’13, who placed second in the said. Though the taekwondo pro- second in the 200-meter dash and women.
University of California at Davis feather weight division. “No way I gram started in the 1960s, the club seventh in the 100-meter dash. His The squads will send a small
hosted more than 300 competitors was going to mess it up. I was over- did not really become active until times were 21.41 seconds and 10.82, number of athletes to the Penn Re-
from 30 schools. The two-day event prepared. When we were there, we the 1980s, he added. Since then, the respectively. lays this weekend, while the majority
included competitions for the color were ready.” club has increased its membership The seven athletes who traveled of the team will remain home to host
belt division April 9 and black belt Brown Taekwondo is the biggest and become stronger each year. down to Baton Rouge competed the Brown Springtime Open.
division April 10. Competitions martial arts club on campus with “The club has been working to- mostly in field events. The sole ex- Only two weeks remain until
were divided according to belt col- over 120 members, most of whom wards this place for a long time,” ception was Samantha Adelberg ’11, the Ivy League Heptagonal Track
ors, weight and gender. did not start taekwondo until their Patel said. who represented Bruno on the track, and Field Championships at Yale.
Twenty-one Bears won medals, first year at Brown. “There was positive energy from finishing eighth in the 800-meter Last year, the women’s team came in
and some took home more than Alums also attended the compe- the first fight,” he said, and the com- with a time of 2:08.73. second overall, and the men’s team
one. tition to help out and drive students petitions following it continued to Everyone was “right around” a finished third. Eisenreich said this
For the past several years, the around the area. “Seeing alumni build energy. personal record, said Michelle Eisen- year the teams need to focus on re-
club team has ranked among the top there, I saw how much of a group Now that the team has won the reich, director of men’s and women’s fining technique, improving speed
three nationally, which put pressure effort it was,” Wefald said. championship, members hope the track and field. and resting.
on the team to maintain its high While training for nationals, stu- program will gain more exposure Rachel Biblo ’11 enjoyed a suc- “I think that the teams are really
level of performance, said Bhuvic dents traveled from campus to Mas- and widespread recognition, Patel cessful day as she triple jumped 40 excited to try to improve on their
Patel ’11, head instructor and coach. ter Sung Sun Park’s ’99 taekwondo said. He said he hopes whenever feet, 11 inches to finish third. She performance at Heps from last year,”
Students who competed at the center in Smithfield for additional people speak of college and tae- also finished fourth in the long jump Eisenreich said. “We’re expecting an
tournament participated in a week practices. kwondo, they will think of Brown with a leap of 19-4 3/4. even larger contingent at regionals
of intensive training over spring “He’s our master, and he decides and its role in the sport. “The performance of the day goes and hopefully nationals as well.”